help with sebastopol geese

[buckshoot]

can someone please give some advice on hatching sebastopol geese eggs in bator

thanks

 

[JordanFamily]

They are the same as any other goose breed... around 50% humidity and then around 75% for lockdown... lockdown is three days before you expect them to hatch or if you see any pips immediately.
Best not to use a styrofoam incubator for them... Cool them once a day by taking the lid off the bator for 10 minutes and spritz them with warm water during this time... It takes about 28 days for them to hatch... same temp as chicken eggs through out... Make sure you turn them seceral times a day... I hear quater turns are best but I just use a autoturner... You may get more advice if you can tell us more details such as what incubator you are using.... Good Luck

 

[TennesseeTruly]

On the other hand, I use only a styrofoam incubator for my Sebastopol eggs and I have good hatches. I only hand turn my eggs three times a day. I mist them once a day starting on Day 5 and stop on Day 25. I start my humidity at 60% and zoom it up to 75% on Day 25. Stop turning on Day 25. They can hatch anywhere from Day 28 to Day 31.

I've had some good hatches the last two years. My next Sebastopol hatchlings are due to hatch March 4th.

Laurie

 

[JordanFamily]

Quote:
Laurie... Do you use a hovabator? I hear the LG is to short for them... What do you use? Do you spritz and cool yours???

 

[TennesseeTruly]

Quote:
Laurie... Do you use a hovabator? I hear the LG is to short for them... What do you use? Do you spritz and cool yours???

Hi Kristina. Yes, I use a Hovabator. And yes I spritz them for 20 days. I start on Day 5 and stop on Day 25. Same thing with cooling off. I begin that on Day 5 and stop on Day 25. I also don't turn them on the first day in the incubator but then again, I don't turn any eggs on the first day in the incubator. Its just a personal thing for me. I start to turn on Day 2 for all my eggs.

Laurie

 

[adrian]

Have had excellent success with my styrofoam incubator with goose eggs. I think there's really no reason that they'd be bad incubators, but there are a few things to keep in mind: quality of thermostat, and just consistency of humidity. In my opinion humidity is hard to keep stable in the styrofoam incubators so that definitely takes more work. A brinsea with auto turn and a humidity pump would be ideal, but also expensive. I find the electronic thermostat Hovabator models are really good at holding temp., but humidity will be in your hands alone and with waterfowl, humidity is really delicate. Too much or too little and you're in trouble. Good luck.

 

[Cottage Rose]

Waterfowl are harder to hatch out than chickens but I don't know why nor any secrets to share.
So many things factor in..how the eggs were handled, how old the eggs are and
a myriad of fluxuations with the incubation process. Stombergs has a great booklette on incubation.
Easiest and most sure-fire way to get a live hatch is to allow the goose to set on the eggs.
I haven't found any difference in peformance between my styrofoam Hovabator and my Brinsea.
I keep the humidity lower than the other posters...around 30 - 35% for the first
25 days because if you have too much humidity the eggs won't always dry down enough.
I use a digital thermometer-hygrometer in my Hovabators which you can buy at Wal-Mart, hardware
stores etc. The last 3 days I crank the humidity up to 80% using new sponges
(throw away after using) soaked as needed in warm water and have found this greatly
helps to increase hatching ease.
I use a separate incubator for hatching out incase I have eggs at different stages
in the same incubator.
Good luck!

 

[JordanFamily]

Quote:
Do you spritz yours? how often? Doesn't that make the humidty go up more than 35% for a while???

 

[Cottage Rose]

I don't think slight variation in humidity is going to make much if any difference.
Infact I don't mist my eggs anymore because I didn't find it made any difference.
Wonder if others have had the same experience.

 

[pips&peeps]

Quote:
I hatch mine the same as chicken eggs now. They do much better and last year I watched one of my gals hatch her brood and they were very dry, even up to hatch day.